Were Harry And Meghan's Thoughts On Ukraine Unfairly Received Compared To William And Kate's?

After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, social media has been buzzing with messages of support for the Ukrainian people. Many celebrities have also used their platforms to spread the word about the war and express their solidarity. Although the royal family has a tendency to stay apolitical during major world crises, both the Sussexes and the Cambridges have taken to their respective websites and Twitter accounts to share their perspectives.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were the first to share their words of support for Ukraine on their Archewell website on February 24. The statement read, "Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same." Two days later, Prince William and Kate Middleton posted their own message about the Ukraine crisis to their Twitter page. They began by explaining that they "had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine's future" back in 2020. The rest of the message read almost identically to Meghan and Harry's: "Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine's people as they bravely fight for that future." 

Despite the similarities between the two statements of support, Twitter users and news outlets reacted very differently to each couple. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's public message to show their support for the Ukrainian people was the first to undergo scrutiny, and it didn't fare well. Piers Morgan, a columnist for The Sun and the New York Post, retweeted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's statement and added a comment of his own. "This will really rattle Putin," Morgan wrote. The Daily Mail diary editor Richard Eden was another who mocked the statement in a retweet of his own. "It's all over for Putin...," he penned. In both cases, commenters followed along in mocking Meghan and Harry.

One comment on Eden's tweet seemed to clarify the anti-Sussex sentiment. It read, "Issuing a statement declaring you 'stand with' people in great danger ... from your luxury mansion, with an ongoing legal case which you demand armed police protection in case some paps chase you for a photo, seems a little tone deaf. No?" Another Twitter user followed suit, noting the irony in Harry supporting Ukraine but not his own family or country.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's similar statement of support was received very differently, however. A headline from The U.S. Sun read, "SHOW OF SOLIDARITY Prince William and Kate Middleton 'stand with people of Ukraine' as they 'fight for their future' in Russian invasion." Even Twitter users were more sympathetic to William and Kate's statement. One commented, "I remembered that meeting. All your supporters remember it. Let's hope and pray for Ukraine." We'd say it's pretty clear to see where their loyalty lies.